Torn Apart
by Kiriana-Uchiha
Summary: Kayura moved to Karakura looking for a fresh start and to be closer to her cousin. She and Ichigo get rather close, but someone is keeping an eye on Kayura. What do they want with her? Things start to fall apart, and everything Kayura has come to love is being destroyed right before her eyes. She knows there is something she can do to help, but is it worth the cost?
1. Fresh Start

**A/N: Ok everyone this is Ch. 1 of Torn Apart. I hope you all enjoy it. I may change the title later, this is the only one that came to mind right now. Anyway, let me know what you think! I'd really appreciate it! =)**

**I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. I own my character Kayura and any other character I may make at a later time.**

"_Stand aside, little girl."_

"_No. I won't let you hurt my friends anymore. You will take me in her place, or you will die here."_

"_You are very foolish if you think you can stand against me."_

"_Then I guess I must be a complete idiot… because I KNOW I will defeat you..." /?! Where is he?!/_

_A cold blade was pressed against her throat. "I told you, you are very foolish. I will be back for you. You agreed to take your friends place, I will, however, need approval and proof of your claims. Twelve hours is what you will have to say your good-byes. You will not tell anyone of this encounter. You will wear this bracelet, that way; no one will see you or sense you. You may say goodbye to three people, seeing as you are doing this on your own accord."_

"_I understand…" He was gone in an instant, and she was back in her home._

**/That dream again… Who is that man? /** A young teenage girl thought as she wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at herself. She had been having that same exact dream since she moved to Karakura a little less than a week ago. She had come here to be closer to her cousin Orihime. Her brother had died a few years ago, her parents had offered for Orihime to come live with them, but she refused. Now, Kayura had moved to Karakura to be closer to her and to get out of her old school. She was having some issues with the people there and some of the teachers. She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was dreading to have to put on that uniform and the tiny ass skirt.

Once she was dressed, she did her makeup and hair. She never liked those girls that caked on their makeup and eye liner. She put on some soft eye shadow and mascara. She skipped the liner; she never really cared for it anyway. Once she was satisfied with her makeup, she fixed her hair. She just decided to dry it and leave it down. Her hair was jet black with short, choppy layers. It stopped around her waist. Her hair was very long and she loved it. She had put some icy blue streaks in it a week ago before she left home. Kayura's mother was not too thrilled about it, but since she was leaving she paid her mother's comments little attention. Once she was satisfied with her look, Kayura grabbed her bag and walked outside, locking the door behind her.

While walking to school, she sensed some rather odd things. _**/ What the hell is going on around here? /**_ Kayura thought to herself. Things felt really strange around Karakura, but she shrugged it off, blaming it on her anxiety about a new school. She continued walking, and noticed a young boy standing by a tree. Kayura paused for a moment, thinking it was strange for such a young boy to be alone, so she walked over to him.

"Hey there sweetie." She said with a smile. "What are you doing out here alone?" Kayura asked as she approached the boy. The boy looked at her in utter shock.

"Wait, y-you can see me?!" the boy exclaimed happily. Kayura was confused for a moment, and then it dawned on her.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"Kayura couldn't finish the sentence. She had been able to see ghosts since she was a child. No one ever knew, she was afraid they would all think she was crazy. She had just recently developed the ability to talk to them however. It was something Kayura had been trying very hard to work on. She smiled at the boy and continued talking.

"Well why are you still here then? Is there something you needed to do?" she asked the young boy. He couldn't have been older than 6, maybe 7 years old. She couldn't fathom what unfinished business such a young child had.

"I just wanted to see my parents again…" The boy said sadly. Kayura nodded, completely understanding.

"Well, I'll take you to your house and you can see your parents. If you don't mind though, I'm just going to keep walking. I think it would look a little strange if I just walked up to your house." Kayura said with a laugh. The boy laughed as well.

"Thank you so much! By the way my name is Ty." The boy said happily.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kayura." She said with a smile as they started walking. "Ok, now where do you live?" She asked.

"Just up the street a little bit." Ty said pointing down the road. Kayura nodded. **/ Easy enough I guess. / **She thought as they walked down the street.

**-At School-**

It took a little longer in the office than Kayura would have liked. They misplaced her schedule and registration so in order not to be late, she had to sprint to her classes. She got inside the door just as the bell rang. Naturally, everyone stared. The teacher looked at her rather confused. She apologized profusely and handed the note from the office to her teacher explaining why she was late.

"Well you weren't exactly late but good to know what the problem was. Please have a seat Ms. Inoue." Kayura thanked her teacher and glanced around for an empty seat. Then she saw an empty seat near the back of the room. She smiled when she saw who it was by.

"Kayura?!" the girls voice shouted. Kayura laughed at her embarrassment as the teacher told her to quiet down.

"Hey Orihime. Long time no see. We'll talk after class." Kayura said taking her seat and grabbing her notebook out to take some notes."

A few minutes had passed and Kayura was looking down at her book, keeping up with the teacher when a piece of paper landed on her desk. Surprised, she looked up to see who the note was from. Since no one was looking at her, she was a little confused until she was tapped on the back. _**/ Ok, so it came from behind me. Got it. / **_Kayura thought as she opened the note.

_Ok well I take it you know Orihime, judging by the way she shouted when you walked into the room. Haha. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. Welcome to Karakura._

Kayura smiled and wrote back. Why not?

_Nice to meet you Ichigo. I'm Kayura Inoue. I am Orihime's cousin. I just moved here about a week ago. Anything I should know about this place to make things easier?_

She passed the note over her shoulder and Ichigo took it from her. He smiled as he read it, although Kayura couldn't see it. Neither she nor Ichigo noticed the look they were getting from a person the both knew. Orihime was glancing sideways at the two of them passing the note back and forth. Ichigo never did things like that. He hardly even spoke to people anyway. **/ So why is he… / **Orihime thought somewhat bitterly to herself.

_This place is pretty decent. Nothing too bad ever really happens. Now as for things you can do to make living here easier? Avoid this one guy name Keigo. He's pretty annoying, but sadly a friend of mine. I can show you around if you'd like after school if you're not busy._

Ichigo tapped Kayura on the shoulder signaling for her he had finished his response. Kayura reached around her side for the note, Ichigo put it in her hand. Orihime was getting really upset. She was happy Kayura seemed to have a friend, but, did it _have _to be Ichigo? Then she saw Kayura's body start shaking after reading something in the note.

_Well that's good to know I guess, Ichigo. I'll have to remember that. And no I'm not busy after school. I wouldn't mind being shown around. I haven't really had much time to look around since I got here. I've been busy unpacking and getting everything set._

Kayura handed the note back to Ichigo, after that it wasn't passed again. Orihime was happy about that much, but she also felt bad for feeling that way. If Ichigo liked her, there was nothing she could do.

Once class was over, Orihime turned to Kayura and hugged her. Kayura hugged her back.

"It's so nice to see you again Kayura. How have you been?" Orihime asked as she packed up her bag.

"It's been pretty good. Can't complain, just had some issues back at my old school so my parents thought it would be better if I moved here near you and went to school with you. Something about being a good influence on me." Kayura said waiving her hand pretending it was nothing important. She laughed a little, not being able to keep a straight face. Orihime laughed as well.

"So Kayura where is your next class?" Orihime asked. Kayura handed her schedule over.

"Wow we're in most of the same classes! All of the but the next one." Orihime said happily. Ichigo took her schedule and looked at it as well.

"Hey you're in all of my classes. I can show you around then." Ichigo said looking at Kayura as he handed her schedule back to her.

"Works for me. I hate looking for my classes. I feel like such an idiot." Kayura said as they started walking out of the room.

"I'll see you next period Orihime." Kayura said smiling. Orihime just nodded and forced a smile. The group parted ways, or rather, Ichigo and Kayura walked off and Orihime just watched the two of them. They were already talking and laughing. Orihime turned and started walking to her class.

When Ichigo and Kayura reached their next class, Ichigo had Kayura sit by him again. They continued talking until the bell rang for class. They didn't pass a note this time, just paid attention to class and took their notes. When class was over, they met up with Orihime for their third class.

"Uhg, I'm starving. I shouldn't have skipped breakfast this morning." Kayura mumbled. Orihime and Ichigo laughed.

"Not long until lunch Kayura. Just need to get past this class." Orihime offered. Kayura sighed as they entered the classroom. Again, Kayura sat by the two of them. She was happy to have someone she knew in all of her classes.

"Orihime where's Tatsuki? I haven't seen her at all today." Ichigo asked. Kayura stopped listening to the conversation and got her stuff out for class. She noticed someone starting at her and when she smiled at him, he just pushed his glasses up on his nose and turned away. _**/ Well aren't we just a jack-ass… /**_ Kayura thought to herself bitterly. Once class started she just ignored everything and paid attention. She wanted to do better here than she had at her old school. It was a fresh start for her and she wanted to take full advantage of it.

"Finally… LUNCH! I'm starving!" Kayura exclaimed grabbing her lunch from her locker. Orihime laughed at her cousin.

"Come on, Ichigo and the others are waiting for us with a table, hopefully." Orihime said that last part with some emphasis. Kayura nodded, not really caring where she sat at the moment, she just wanted to eat something.

"Orihime, Kayura, over here." Ichigo stood up and waived his hand to get their attention. Kayura and Orihime walked over to the table.

"Hey now, Ichigo who is this beauty? My name is Keigo Asano, and it's-"There was a loud crack and Keigo was suddenly on the ground grabbing his head.

"OW OW OW! Ichigo what was that for?!" Keigo whined. Kayura was trying really hard not to laugh, it was rather funny.

"For being an idiot. That's what it was for. She's new so leave the girl alone." Ichigo said sounding a little pissed. "Told you to stay away from him." He added, smirking at Kayura.

"Well if that's the case then I'll go eat alone then seeing as he's here with you guys." Kayura said grabbing her bag and turning around. Ichigo grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, wait I was just kidding…" Ichigo said sounding really upset. Kayura turned and smiled at Ichigo.

"Yeah I know. Just had to mess with you back Ichigo." Kayura laughed at his expression. It was priceless. Ichigo smiled and turned back to the group. They all sat down and started talking about random things. Ichigo moved and sat next to Kayura.

"So how do you like your fist day so far?" he asked his new friend.

"I like it. I really do so far. I love that I have Orihime in my classes. Part of the reason I moved here was to be closer to her. She and I were really close when we were little. So I took the first chance I had to come here. That and I had some problems at my old school. Always got into fights and things like that. So here is my fresh start. And I really like the fact that I made a friend as soon as my first class started." Kayura finished laughing as Ichigo smiled.

"Glad you like it. Oh and as for after school, we still on?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. There was something he wanted to ask her, but he could just as easily ask her now as later. It was probably better if he asked while they were alone. He smiled when Kayura nodded. Kayura turned back to Orihime and started talking with her for the rest of lunch. Ichigo couldn't help but look at her every once in a while. There was something else about her, other than what he saw earlier.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. Kayura, Orihime and Ichigo went to their classes, they talked a little bit, but that was it. Ichigo said he would meet Kayura at the entrance to the school. She had gone to her locker and was on her way to the entrance.

"Hey Ichigo, you ready?" Kayura said walking up to him. He moved off the wall he was leaning on and nodded. They walked in silence for a few moments and then Ichigo turned to her.

"Alright Kayura, I have a question for you, and I'm sorry if it's personal or comes out wrong but I want to know." Ichigo paused for a moment before he continued. "This morning, I saw you talking to a little boy and… I know he's a ghost." Kayura stopped walking and was staring at the ground. She looked up at Ichigo for a moment before speaking.

"Well, that secret didn't last too long here." Kayura said with a half-smile.

"Look I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry. I just, I have the same ability. I can see and talk to ghosts as well." Kayura look at Ichigo in shock. She had never met someone with the same ability as her.

"Are you serious?! That's awesome! I've never met anyone else who could do that!" Kayura was so ecstatic. Ichigo smiled. He and Kayura walked to the park instead of going home. They both sat down on the swings and just talked for hours. They shared stories about ghost they had seen or spoken to in the past, about their lives, just anything they could think of.

A few hours had passed and the sun was starting to set.

"Damn, guess we better get home." Ichigo said scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, it is getting late. This was nice Ichigo. I had never told anyone before, and it feels really good to have someone else to talk to about it." Ichigo smiled and helped Kayura stand up.

"Yeah, you're the only one I've ever told as well. I gotta say I like having someone to talk to as well."

They both started to walk back toward their houses. Little did they know that someone was watching them, more so Kayura.

"That's the girl?" a male voice asked.

"Yes. Keep an eye on her. Get close to her." Another, deeper male voice replied.

"Understood." The first voice answered.


	2. Crazy Night

**A/N – Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay… College, classes, exams, work, homework… you know the drill. I have all my idea sorted out for the next few chapters so when I get the time to write them they will be done in one sitting. Just need the time. Thanks for all of you who commented and faved and followed! It makes my day to get that message. =3 Hope you enjoy chapter 2! I know it's a little shorter.**

After Kayura got home, she tossed her stuff onto the couch and flopped down with it. _**/ Oh who am I kidding…/**_ she thought to herself as she rolled off the couch and turned on her radio and blasted some music. She turned up the volume and started singing and dancing like a complete dork. Her singing wasn't too bad, but still paired with her dancing, it was definitely a sight. She danced her way into the kitchen to find something to eat for dinner.

"Well looks like ramen!" She said with sarcastic enthusiasm. She needed to remember to go to the store soon or she would probably starve. She turned on the water to heat up and she went back into her living room to get her books to start working on some homework. She saw her phone ringing on the table. Actually it wasn't her phone. / What the hell? / She thought to herself as she examined it. It looked like a perfectly normal cell phone, until she opened it. It appeared to have some sort of homing device built into it, there was a blinking red blip on the screen. She watched it for a few minutes, and then it disappeared.

"Oh I don't have time for this right now. I'll deal with it later." Kayura said as she tossed it back onto the table and grabbed her bag. She had had too good of a day to have one random little thing bother her. Although it wasn't as little as Kayura believed, as she would find out later.

Kayura was lost in thought for a minute until she heard the shrill whistle of her kettle. "Whoops…" She said to no one in particular as she turned off the stove and poured her water over her instant noodles. As she ate she read through her homework and took additional notes. She finished her couple worksheets and other miscellaneous problems she had assigned to her. She checked over her work real quick and, being satisfied, put her stuff away. She cleaned up her mess in the kitchen and went back into the living room. She sighed in utter defeat.

"Damn… what the hell am I going to do with this place? I need to paint, and some new furniture." She said hitting her head lightly on the wall. "Whatever, it's waiting until this weekend at the very least.

Kayura walked around her house, every room, taking notes of what needed to be done in each. The work could wait until the weekend, but her list didn't have to. _**/ Hmm… I wonder if I can get anyone to help me with this. / **_Kayura thought to herself. She would definitely need the help, the house wasn't too big but it wasn't that small either. When she got to her room, she put her list down and flopped onto her bed. Kayura was exhausted and almost immediately passed out. She fell back into that same dream, with that same man.

Kayura woke up about 2 o'clock in the morning, freezing. She looked up and saw that the window above her bed was open. It hadn't been before she passed out, she was sure of that. _**/ I know that window was closed…/**_ she reached up and shut the window firmly, locking it as well. Seeing as she was awake now, she quietly got up and grabbed the first heavy object she could find in her room, ironically, a baseball bat. _**/ Right, why the hell do I have this? / **_She thought. Kayura shrugged and opened her bedroom door and walked quietly into the hall and down the stairs, checking all doors, rooms, and windows as she went. Everything was fine. Nothing was out of place, unlocked or broken into. Kayura was really confused. "Maybe it was just me then…" she said out loud. She sighed heavily and walked back upstairs to her room. She flicked on her light and walked into the bathroom, she hadn't showered before she passed out, might as well do it since she was up.

The hot steam filled the small bathroom. Kayura was relaxing after the random window incident until she heard something crash into her room. She froze, terrified to move. She wished she hadn't left the bat on her bed. She left the water running but stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. By now she heard two voices, one male, and the other female. The she heard an ear splitting, seemingly animalistic howl. Kayura peeked through the crack in the door and didn't see anything. The voices had disappeared as well. She crept into her room and saw that her window had been completely destroyed. Kayura pulled on her extra pair of school shoes she kept near her closet, and went to her dresser to get some clothes on before whatever was around showed back up. She opened her drawer and pulled on a long t-shirt she had gotten from her best friend before she moved. In stopped at the top of her knees. She grabbed a pair of shorts and underwear as well and quickly pulled them on. Before she grabbed for her shorts, she heard the two voices approaching again. Kayura looked up and had enough time to see a huge black hand coming through her wall toward her. She opened her mouth and absolutely no sound came out. She turned to run but the hand grabbed her. Kayura was yanked out of her house into the semi-chilly night.

When Kayura turned to look at who, or what, had grabbed her she finally found her voice. Kayura let out a loud shriek that she was sure the entire town had heard.

"Hold on!" She heard a male voice yell. Kayura's head snapped around trying to locate the body that voice was attached to. Finally, said body appeared in front of her, facing toward the huge black monstrosity holding her captive. Kayura looked up and only saw bright orange hair. _**/ It can't be…/**_ Kayura thought before her savior lunged at the monster and split its white, mask-covered face in half. The monster started to disappear; Kayura was suddenly falling from a very high place. Before she had time to scream, she was in two very strong arms, hearing a voice saying, "It's alright Kayura. You're safe now." Neither of them looked at each other. Kayura knew exactly who he voice belonged to. She hoped she would get an explanation, but she wouldn't push it right now. She felt her feet land softly on the ground, only then did she finally look up.

"Ichigo… What wa-"

"She can see us?!" shouted the female voice Kayura had heard earlier. Kayura turned toward the voice and saw a short, black haired girl wearing the same outfit as Ichigo. Ichigo looked at the new girl and nodded. "Yeah, let's go back to my house and I'll explain to both of you."

Kayura was somewhat reluctant to follow the pair, Ichigo noticed and turned toward her. After a moment he smiled and walked over to her. "Look I get it. But I won't hurt you, neither will Rukia. You're safe now." Ichigo smiled at his new friend. She was terrified and confused and he couldn't blame her. He threw his arm around her and she looked up at him and nodded. They began walking toward his house.

After a few minutes of silence, Kayura glanced over at Ichigo, sighed, and said, "You lied to me Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo was taken aback.

"Wait, what? I didn't lie!" Ichigo said, startled by the accusation. Kayura looked at him seriously, "Yes you did. You told me nothing ever happens here, and the only thing I needed to do to make things easier was to avoid Keigo." She finished, sounding slightly pissed. Ichigo looked at her for a moment, without any emotion, and then looked down. "I'm sorry Kayura. I didn't think-" Kayura began laughing. She couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Wow you thought I was serious?!Damn Ichigo you're really easy to mess with." Kayura said with a smile. Ichigo stared at her for a second; she was trying not to seem as scared as he knew she really was. He smiled back at her. "Yeah, I guess I am." He said as they continued walking together.

Once they arrived at his house, Ichigo picked Kayura up and they entered through his bedroom window. Ichigo set Kayura on the edge of his bed and he sat down as well. Rukia pulled up a chair and they all sat staring at each other for a minute.

"Alright Ichigo, what's going on. How can she see us?" The black haired girl, who Kayura assumed was the one named Rukia Ichigo had mentioned, asked. Ichigo decided that this was the easiest to answer first, considering it was the shortest story.

"Kayura can see us because she can see and talk to ghosts just like I can." He simply stated.

"Ok, so who is she? Why haven't I heard of her before?" Rukia questioned. Ichigo sighed and answered.

"Her name is Kayura. She is Orihime's cousin and today was her first day of school. I just met her as well." He gave Rukia a hard stare. Rukia nodded, signaling she was done with her questioning. Ichigo turned to Kayura now.

"Alright Kayura, first I'll start with telling you what attacked you. It's called a Hollow. They are spirits who have not crossed over for one reason or another. They are attached to this world and after a while, they basically lose themselves and become what you saw. You saw the hole in its chest, that's the mark of a Hollow. They lose their hearts. Now, Rukia and I are called Soul Reapers. We have special powers and we fight the Hollows, and get souls to cross over. For right now, I think that's enough. You know who and what we are and what attacked you. Anything else would probably be too much." Ichigo said as he looked at his friend. She had a small scratch on her cheek, and she looked like she was trying to process everything. After a moment, Kayura looked up at the two of them and nodded. She understood for the most part. Now, she was just tired.

"Ichigo she should stay here for the night. We don't know if any more Hollows will come after her." Rukia said. Kayura's head snapped up.

"Yeah, that's a good idea Rukia. Kayura you can have my bed, I'll get some stuff and sleep on the floor." He turned to walk out of the room but Kayura stopped him.

"Wait, um, thank you Ichigo. And you too Rukia, for saving me." Kayura said quietly. Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other for a second, smiled and answered Kayura in unison.

"No problem. That's what friends are for." Kayura's face lit up at that. Ichigo turned and left the room, Rukia opened his window and before jumping out turned to Kayura and said, "Don't worry. I'll be out here tonight if any other hollows com looking for you." With that, she jumped out the window and was gone.

Kayura sat on the bed looking out the window for a few minutes, completely lost in thought. She didn't hear Ichigo come in. He stared at her for a few moments, just watching her.

She was sitting on his bed. All she had on was a long t-shirt. Her hair was still slightly damp form her shower. He also noticed that her hair was wavy from drying, the blue streaks stood out well against her jet black hair in the moonlight. Ichigo shook his head and cleared his throat as he got his bed ready on the floor. Kayura turned around, she hadn't heard Ichigo come in. she reached up and shut the window. She didn't feel a need to lock it since Rukia was watching. She looked at the clock; it was just after three o'clock in the morning. She pulled the blanket down and curled up underneath in. she inhaled deeply, as she laid her head on the pillow. _**/ Ichigo smells really good…/ **_Kayura thought for a second then mentally slapped herself for it. She rolled over and looked out the window some more. She stared at the moon for a while until she started to drift off to sleep. Ichigo had rolled over as well and looked at the back of Kayura's head. He got lost in his thoughts before he passed out. The last thought he had seemed to ring in his memory for the rest of the night, _**/ I'm glad she's here…/**_


	3. Another New Friend?

**A/N: Here is chapter 3 for Torn Apart! Hope you all enjoy it. Sorry it took so long... Had to set up an internship for the fall and all that fun stuff... ON TO THE STORY! =)**

Kayura woke up the next morning to the sound of knocking on the door. "Ichigo! Ichigo wake up! Breakfast is ready!" Kayura remained silent, waiting for Ichigo to wake up. When he didn't budge, Kayura crawled out of the bed and shook him awake.

"Hey, Ichigo wake up. Someone is calling for you. Ichigo…" Kayura whispered as she gently shook her sleeping friend. Finally, Ichigo stirred. When he saw Kayura leaning over him looking slightly worried, he thought something was wrong. He shot up instantly.

"What's wrong? What happened Kayura?" Ichigo asked, sounding rather serious. Kayura shook her head and laughed quietly as she pointed at the door. Ichigo looked puzzled then turned to the door. Recognition dawned on him as he heard the knocking.

"Ichigo are you even in there?! WAKE UP!" The voice on the other side of the door was getting angrier by the second.

"I'm up Karin! Give it a rest already!" Ichigo snapped back.

"Well hurry up. Your food is getting cold." The feisty girl named Karin answered. Ichigo sighed and muttered something under his breath.

"Well this has been an interesting morning so far." Kayura stated with a huge grin on her face. She was trying really hard not to laugh at Ichigo. He would get so disgruntled so easily.

"I'll go grab some food and bring it up here so you can eat too." Ichigo stated as he walked toward his door.

"Umm, ok but… I kinda need to go to school and I don't think I'll be allowed in the door wearing this." Kayura said as she pointed to her long sleeping shirt. Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he thought for a minute.

"Oh! I think Rukia left her extra uniform in my closet. It should fit you." Ichigo babbled as he opened his closet door. He was oblivious to the look he was receiving from Kayura.

"Uhh… Ok appreciate the clothes but… why the hell would Rukia's extra uniform be in your closet?" Kayura asked, sounding slightly more jealous than she intended. She blushed as she caught herself. Ichigo looked at her confused for a minute, and then laughed at how stupid he must have sounded. Ichigo never explained that Rukia had stayed in his closet when they first met.

"Sorry about that Kayura. When Rukia first showed up here in Karakura, I kinda stole her powers. She needed a place to hide and rest while she regained her strength. Since I was the one that caused her so much trouble, I told her she could stay with me. She figured it was better to hide in my closet to avoid any issues with my family." Ichigo explained to a still slightly flushed Kayura.

"Uhh…right." _**/ WOW you're a dumbass Kayura…/**_ she thought bitterly to herself. Ichigo handed her the uniform and left the room to get food and let her change. Kayura quickly changed and ran her fingers through her hair. A minute later there was a knock on Ichigo's window. It was Rukia. Kayura went to the window and let her in.

"What are you doing here Rukia?" Kayura asked with a smile.

"I thought you may need a few of your belongings." The short female replied handing Kayura her schoolbag and another with some clothes. Kayura's smile widened.

"Thank you so much! And Ichigo let me borrow your extra uniform. I hope you don't mind." Kayura added as she scratched the back of her head.

"Not at all. Are you alright after what happened last night? I'm sure that was a lot for you to take in at once." Rukia asked the raven haired girl.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Still a little shocked I guess but… guess that's something I'll have to get used to, living here." Kayura responded forcing a small smile. She was worried, but not completely scared, despite feeling like she should be utterly terrified. Rukia nodded.

"I'm not sure why the hollow went after you. You do give off some Spiritual Pressure, but it shouldn't be anything to attract a Hollow like that." Rukia continued, ignoring Ichigo who had just walked into the room.

"Ok Rukia, I think that's enough. We don't need to pile too much on her at once." Ichigo said a little harshly. Rukia narrowed her eyes slightly at the orange haired boy. She sighed and turned to the window.

"I'll see you two at school." She quipped and jumped out the window. Kayura and Ichigo stood there in an awkward silence. Ichigo handed Kayura her plate so she could eat. Kayura took it gratefully.

"Thanks Ichigo." Kayura said as she sat on the bed and began eating.

Once she was done, Kayura and Ichigo left for school. It was rather interesting getting Kayura out of the house without her being noticed. The pair managed somehow and headed in the direction of school.

"Thank you for last night Ichigo. I really owe you for that." Kayura said as she put her head down. Ichigo looked at her slightly confused.

"You thanked me for that last night, and there's no need to thank me for protecting you. You're my friend." Kayura smiled.

"I know, but still. If it wasn't for you and Rukia I…" Kayura didn't see a need to finish her sentence. Ichigo nodded.

"My dad knows people who can help fix your house. I'll call him at lunch and ask him to get in touch with them." Ichigo offered, changing the subject. Kayura's grin widened.

"Speaking about that… Ichigo can I ask you a favor?" Kayura said with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Why do I feel like I'm not going to like this favor?" Ichigo said slightly worried. Kayura laughed.

"It's nothing bad, and I am only asking. You are allowed to say no." Kayura said as she looked at Ichigo from the side of her eyes. Ichigo smirked as he waited for her question.

"My house needs some work done… And I mean aside from the new damage from last night." Kayura said before Ichigo could say anything. "It needs to be painted mainly. The rest I can take care of." Kayura asked, not really expecting the response she was about to get.

"Just let me know when you want me over." Ichigo responded, continuing to look straight ahead. He stopped dead in his tracks when he was hugged from the side. He glanced down at the girl who was clinging to him.

"Aww you're the best Ichigo! Thank you so much!" Kayura exclaimed. Ichigo grinned at her.

"I can see if anyone else will help. I don't see why they would really mind though." Kayura beamed, Ichigo didn't think she could get much happier.

"Thank you Ichigo. I'd really appreciate that."

"No problem Kayura. I owe you anyway for lying to you don't I?" Ichigo said with a grin on his face. He and Kayura laughed.

"Ichigo, Kayura! Wait up!" Came a voice form behind the pair. It was Orihime.

"Hey Orihime, how are you?" Ichigo asked the orange haired girl. Orihime smiled before she answered.

"I'm great! How are you two?" Orihime asked, slightly having to force a smile. The two nodded at their friend.

"Pretty good, although it was a rather interesting night." Kayura said in a matter-of-fact tone. Orihime looked at her cousin a little confused. Kayura looked at Ichigo to see if it was alright to tell her what really happened, Ichigo nodded at her.

"Well, you see, uh… I was attacked by a Hollow last night." Kayura said putting her hand behind her head, unsure of how her cousin would take the news.

"Wow! Are you alright? I can heal you if you need it." Orihime said walking toward her cousin. Kayura waved her hands in front of her.

"No, no, I'm fine Orihime. Just a little freaked is all. Ichigo and Rukia saved me." Kayura assured her cousin, or tried to. "Although the Hollow did break down an entire wall so I can't go home until it's repaired." Kayura added as an afterthought.

"You can stay with me if you would like." Orihime offered her cousin with a smile. Before Kayura could answer, Ichigo jumped in.

"It's fine Orihime. Kayura already stayed at my place last night, and Rukia brought her some extra clothes this morning."

"Oh… I understand." Orihime said forcing her true emotions back down inside. Kayura was confused, but decided to change the subject. She wasn't sure where she was going to stay. She missed her cousin dearly while she was away, but also wanted to stay with Ichigo. They had a lot in common and Kayura had some questions that she wanted answered about the Hollows and Soul Reapers.

"Orihime?" Kayura began, and Orihime looked her way. Kayura could see the pain in her eyes and she suddenly felt terrible.

"Umm, after my wall gets fixed I kinda need some help painting. Would you mind helping me?" Kayura felt really guilty asking her this after realizing how she feels about Ichigo. Orihime's smile returned to her face.

"I would love to Kayura!" Kayura smiled seeing her cousin happy again. She didn't mean to hurt her feelings in the first place.

The trio continued on to school and their classes. Kayura kept to herself for most of the time before lunch. She felt really guilty about that morning and how upset Orihime had looked after Ichigo said she was staying with him.

Once lunch arrived, Kayura was back to being herself around everyone. Kayura met a few new people that day during lunch. She already knew Rukia from the night before, but decided it was best to go along with the ruse of not knowing each other; otherwise they would have to explain the previous nights' incidents. Kayura also met Chad and Uryu. She realized that Uryu was the same boy her first day of school that had ignored her when she smiled.

"So why did you move to Karakura?" Uryu asked. Kayura was quite surprised. He had spoken to her, she hadn't expected that.

"I had some issues at my old school. Didn't really get along with some of the people that went there." Uryu nodded.

"Well doesn't seem like you will have that problem here." He stated looking around at the group. Kayura smiled.

"No I guess I won't. And I'm quite happy with that." Ichigo, Rukia and Orihime smiled at Kayura's response. Near the end of lunch, Ichigo asked Kayura to take a walk with him while the rest of the group talked and joked amongst themselves. Kayura smiled and agreed.

The pair talked about nothing in particular, mostly just walked together in silence. Neither felt awkward, just enjoyed each other's company. Kayura was the first to break the silence.

"So, Ichigo, I have a question…" Kayura paused, waiting for her hint to go forward. Ichigo turned toward Kayura as they kept walking.

"Why were you so adamant that I stay with you and not Orihime?" The question was not the original one Kayura had intended. She was shocked at what had spilled out of her mouth. Ichigo stopped and looked at the ground a moment before turning to Kayura. He opened his mouth to answer when Kayura was jumped from behind.

"Hey!" Kayura yelled at the intruder. They had her in a headlock. Kayura fought or a moment to get the person to release her. Kayura paused for a second and took a deep breath. She grabbed the person's arm, jumped off the ground and heaved the person forward as she fell back down. All this happened before Ichigo even had time to react. He was shocked at the strength the tiny girl possessed. Ichigo was pulled from his daze when he heard Kayura's scream.

"OH HELL NO! RIKU?! What are you doing here?!" Kayura yelled. "And what the hell was that for?!" The girl added, sounding slightly pissed. They boy on the ground laughed.

"Hey Kayura." The boy responded with a grin. Kayura crossed her arms waiting for an answer to her questions. Riku sighed.

"Look I'm sorry I scared you. I just wanted to see if you were practicing still while you've been gone. And I transferred here to go to school with you. Just not the same back home without you." He grinned.

"You're an idiot." That was all Kayura said as she reached out a hand to the boy.


End file.
